


hunger

by ThirteenthMouse6572



Series: SW Drabbles & Shorts [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Dad Plo Koon, Fluff, Gen, Hugs, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Touch-Starved, wolffe and cody are barely there sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:40:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirteenthMouse6572/pseuds/ThirteenthMouse6572
Summary: Obi-Wan knew that almost all sentients needed some kind of touch to keep their brains working correctly. Of course, he wasn’t exactly an exception to the rule but he certainly seemed to be working fine in relative isolation.(or: Obi-wan needs a hug, Obi-wan gets a hug)
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Plo Koon
Series: SW Drabbles & Shorts [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813846
Comments: 13
Kudos: 519





	hunger

Obi-Wan knew that almost all sentients needed some kind of touch to keep their brains working correctly. Of course, he wasn’t exactly an _exception_ to the rule, especially since Stewjons were a particularly affectionate race of humans, but he certainly seemed to be working fine in relative isolation.

Of course, he wasn’t _alone_. He had his men and his Commander but, as much as they loved to sleep in piles and be as close to each other as possible, they always stayed a professional distance away from Obi-Wan and only touched him to push him _away_ from danger or _towards_ medical. Sometimes, he wanted someone ( _anyone, at this point_ ) to spar with him so that he would at least get some sense of human interaction, as ridiculous and, frankly, _pathetic_ as it was.

Some of the Masters in the temple – mostly from the Council, and, really, it was just Mace and Plo – knew about his need for affection as an Initiate and Padawan, but he tried to hide it once he was knighted (no time for _touch_ when he had a rambunctious 9-year-old to teach and look after). Sometimes, when they were stationed together, Obi-Wan would receive small touches to his shoulders or neck in silent appreciation, which didn’t stave off Obi-Wan’s slowly oncoming breakdown so much as speed it up.

The effects of the lack of touch slowly began to show themselves after six months in space with little to no physical interaction with anyone else. The Force rolled in discomfort around him and he tried to stay away from his men without raising suspicion, as their presences in the Force all but drew him in physically.

Obi-Wan tried his best to simulate touch as well as he could in the middle of nowhere; he still had the weighted blanket Mace gave him a while ago and frequently buried under it, and, while water showers were rare, whenever he got the chance to douse himself in warm water he would stand underneath it until it began to run cold.

He saw Anakin and Ahsoka more frequently than anyone else (aside from the 212th) but he couldn’t bring himself to admit what was happening to his Padawan or Grandpadawan. They both looked up to him and if he admitted he wasn’t the ‘perfect Jedi’ he might lose what respect he had.

He was slightly ashamed at the excitement he felt when he got the message that he would be meeting with the 104th for exchange of recent supplies each fleet had picked up. He might be able to talk with Plo about how his skin felt… _itchy_ and _wrong_ for the past few weeks.

On the day they were to meet the rendezvous point, Obi-Wan had stayed in his quarters with the purple weighted blanket around his shoulders and a datapad in his lap. Paperwork didn’t stop for such trivial things as _touch starvation_. Not that he referred to his condition as to what it was.

The Force signature of Mace that usually lingered on the blanket had started to fade after being in Obi-Wan’s possession for too long, but he still kept it for… sentimental reasons. The weight was still comforting.

Obi-Wan twisted his fingers around the soft fabric for a few seconds, closing his eyes and allowing himself to breathe for a bit. The grounding weight helped a little with the strange itchiness of his skin, but it was definitely still there. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, wondering how far away they were from the 104th’s fleet.

As if on cue, a beep came through from his comm from Cody, letting him know that they had the 104th in sight. Obi-Wan sent back an acknowledgement and shed the blanket, missing its weight as he stood up and stretched. He’d be able to return soon, he told himself. And maybe Plo might be able to help him somehow.

He met Cody in the hangar just as a fighter ship with the Wolfpack’s markings landed on the runway. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but notice the gap between Cody and himself, a respectful distance that he felt every centimetre of. He watched as the fighter, which was escorting the supply ship behind it with a few other grey-painted fighters, rolled into the hangar.

As the Kel Dor stepped down from the fighter Obi-Wan fought to keep the Force in control, feeling it shifting uncomfortably around him. Cody saluted Plo as he walked over with a, “General Koon.” He dropped the salute as Plo held out a hand in an at-ease gesture.

“Obi-Wan, Commander Cody, it is good to see you both,” Plo greeted. His gaze lingered on Obi-Wan slightly, which caused the Force to shift underneath Obi-Wan’s careful grip on it. He resisted the urge to shift underneath his friend’s attention and was thankful when Plo turned to Cody. “Commander, I believe Wolffe has been excited to meet you since we were told of the rendezvous. Something about Commander Fox, I believe?”

Cody frowned slightly before a look of realisation followed by a grin crossed his face. He looked to Obi-Wan, clearly about to ask to leave, which Obi-Wan nodded to. “Go, Cody, have fun gossiping.” Cody left with a quick salute and walked very quickly and purposefully to where Wolffe was overseeing the supplies.

“Obi-Wan,” Plo said softly. Obi-Wan knew that tone; it meant he was going to cry at least once by the end of the day. “How are you doing? I know the 212th hasn’t had contact with anyone for a while.”

“I’ve been better,” Obi-Wan admitted. “I’m handling it.” It wasn’t a _lie_. He was handling it, just pretty badly. Plo didn’t seem impressed and definitely saw through the half-truth. “I’m glad to have you aboard,” Obi-Wan said in an attempt to change the subject. “It’s been…” he trailed off.

 _Lonely_ was the first word that came to mind, but he didn’t really have a reason to be lonely with the 212th. _Silent_ didn’t work either; it was rarely ever silent on _The Negotiator_. He opted to just not finish the sentence.

“I believe neither of us has another mission as of now,” Plo said. “Would it be any trouble for me to extend my visit for a day?” Obi-Wan swallowed and nodded, hiding his clenched hands in his sleeves. Plo gestured towards the exit. “Your quarters?” Obi-Wan nodded again and turned to the nearest trooper and asked them to tell Cody where he and Plo were if asked.

As he led Plo down the corridors towards his quarters, the Kel Dor placed a hand between Obi-Wan’s shoulder blades. Obi-Wan couldn’t help the shaky breath he took at the contact, muscles tensing (more than they usually were, anyway). Plo didn’t comment on the reaction and didn’t remove his hand for the remainder of the walk.

Once they entered the quarters Obi-Wan stood awkwardly against the wall by his bunk, missing the feeling of Plo’s hand on his back which had been removed once they crossed the threshold. “Obi-Wan, I need to ask you something,” Plo said gently. “When was the last time someone touched you for longer than a few moments?”

Obi-Wan froze, avoiding eye contact with his friend. “Cross held me down when he drugged me after the last battle we were in?” he said, more asking than actually stating it. He could feel the disappointed stare directed his way without even seeing it. “I… it’s been a while…” he amended. “I-I’m fine though. It’s alright. I’m dealing with it.”

Plo took a step towards Obi-Wan, who tried to press himself further against the cold wall. “ _Ad’ika_ ,” he muttered. “You are clearly not okay, and obviously suffering from the lack of touch.” Obi-Wan swallowed thickly at the statement, shaking his head to deny it. “Obi-Wan, I can feel the discomfort in the Force around you."

“I’m okay,” Obi-Wan tried again, scratching at his arm to try to remove the below-the-surface itch. He didn’t even realise Plo had stepped closer until they were barely an arm’s length apart.

“Can I hug you?” Plo asked. Obi-Wan hesitated slightly. He did _want_ a hug… “You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want one,” Plo added. At that point, Obi-Wan didn’t care much about dignity or whatever other excuses he might’ve come up with and all but flung himself at the Kel Dor, who still seemed to expect the sudden movement and caught Obi-Wan in his arms.

After so long without actual, proper _touch_ , maybe it wasn’t the best idea to be hugged immediately, but Obi-Wan couldn’t care less. He didn’t have much exposed skin, but he could feel the pressure through his robes, and it sent tears into his eyes. Plo’s hand moved to his head and gently carded through his hair, sending a shiver down Obi-Wan’s spine.

They just stood there for a long while in silence, occasional sniffs coming from Obi-Wan as silent tears fell. He knew that they should get back to their Commanders, make sure all the supplies were where they were supposed to be (not that he didn’t trust Plo, but it never hurt to double-check), but Plo didn’t seem to be letting go of Obi-Wan anytime soon and he didn’t really mind that fact. The Force was still rolling uncomfortably around him, but the longer they stood the more relaxed it seemed to become. Even the itchiness of his skin was dulling ever to slightly.

Obi-Wan eventually pulled away (reluctantly) and wiped at his eyes, feeling better than he did before. He had to hold in a yawn as he blinked away the blurriness in his eyes. “How do you feel, _ad_?” Plo asked, still resting a hand on Obi-Wan’s bicep.

“Better,” Obi-Wan replied. He could still do with another hug, but he wasn’t going to take up more of Plo’s time. His eyes flicked towards the blanket lying on his bunk and back to Plo, who seemed to notice the look.

“I’m sure our Commanders won’t miss us if we take a longer break,” Plo said. “If the weighted blanket helps, you can sit on the bunk.” Obi-Wan _did_ want to sit down and wrap the blanket around his shoulders, but it would most definitely lead to the inevitable breakdown Obi-Wan’s been waiting for. “Obi-Wan,” Plo sighed. “ _Ad’ika_ , lie down on the bed.”

Obi-Wan startled slightly at the half-command. He hesitated for a few moments before relenting and slowly getting onto the bunk. He resisted the urge to grab the blanket, sitting up straight on the bed, cross-legged.

“Lie down,” Plo said, taking another step forward. Obi-Wan felt like a child being scolded, but he didn’t want to disappoint Plo, so he slowly lied down on his side and tried his best to avoid looking to Plo.

The Kel Dor walked closer to the bunk and reached over Obi-Wan’s body. Obi-Wan frowned and was about to turn his head to see what Plo was doing when the weighted blanket was placed over his body and up to his shoulders. He eyed his friend for a few seconds before giving into the want and drawing the blanket up further, bunching some of it in front of his mouth and nose.

Plo sat on the ground beside his bunk, a soft look on his face as he watched Obi-Wan. “I’m going to guess nobody knows about your need for affection?” he asked, and wasn’t _that_ blunt?

Obi-Wan pulled the blanket up further to hide his face and the blush that was most certainly there. “No,” he replied. It’s not like he could just tell someone about it without losing at least a little respect. “It’s fine.” Plo began to card through Obi-Wan’s hair once more, eliciting a small hum of happiness which Obi-Wan would deny ever happening.

“I will not force you to tell someone, but all sentients need some kind of touch, Obi-Wan,” Plo said. “Give it a thought, yes?” Obi-Wan nodded, pushing his head into Plo’s hand. Obi-Wan blinked his eyes sluggishly as he tried to stay awake. A gentle nudge of a Force suggestion to sleep poked at his mind, doused in Plo’s Force signature. “Sleep now, Obi-Wan, you deserve it,” Plo told him.

“Thank you,” Obi-Wan muttered, finally letting his eyes close. He thought he heard Plo say something in Mando’a, but he was already falling asleep. He’d ask Plo when he wakes up. At that moment, he just let himself fall asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!!


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